JAKARTA , Indonesia's statistics bureau said on Monday the country's unhooked rice production will creep higher in 2003 from the previous year, mainly due to higher productivity.The bureau forecast output would rise 0.66 percent to 51.83 million tonnes this year, a bit more bullish than a forecast in February, when it pegged the crop at 51.4 million tonnes, which remains the projection of the agriculture ministry.
"Productivity is up by 1.05 percent this year," the bureau said in a statement. The bureau also gave a final rice output figure for 2002 of 51.49 million tonnes.
Rice is a major staple for most of Indonesia's 210 million people and the country is among the world biggest importers of the commodity.
Corn and soyabean production is also forecast to rise due to a combination of greater harvestable areas and better productivity.
The bureau said corn production would rise 7.4 percent to 10.37 million tonnes this year from 9.65 million tonnes in the previous year.